Jehovah's Witness questions

[ChristianMomma]

I had a couple ladies come to my door this morning that are Jehovah's Witnesses. I have talked to people of that faith briefly but not in a few years. I have been ill with a cold, in fact I answered the door with a blanket wrapped around me so I pretty much told them that I do not believe as they do and sent them on their way.

I then felt pulled to go and talk to them. A couple days my sister asked me to do some research on the Jehovah Witness faith because someone at her husband's work was asking him to prove his Christian beliefs and she wasn't sure what exactly the differences were between us. I looked online and printed out some pages and that was that. (I tried going to their official website to be sure of their beliefs but it I could not find any list of beliefs there, maybe it was operator error?) I looked over the pages I printed briefly as I have been quite busy taking care of a house full of sick people.

Well, I grabbed my papers and Bible and pretty much chased the ladies down the street. We chatted back and forth for about a half an hour, mostly focusing on Jesus and their belief that he and the archarngel Micheal are one and the same.

I let them do alot of talking and I just asked questions as we went along trying to poke holes in their beliefs. In the end, they wiggled out of the talk because we were out talking in front of someone else's house and that made them uncomfortable.

We made plans for them to come back in a week and I need to get all my ducks in a row before then.

Anyone have any experience on what I should focus on or a guide of sorts? I tried my best but I felt really unprepared and being sick my brain was a little fuzzy but I think I did well with the points I focused on. (John 1:1, John 8:58, John 14:14) I remember my pastor going on about something in Revelation that proves Jesus is God as well but like I said I am fuzzy headed.

Edit: It was Revelation 1:8. But I am sure that their answer to that will be the same as what they said to John 1:1 about Jesus having a beginning so he cannot be God because God has no beginning.

Please help, I would love to focus on their New World Translation and its changes as well.

Thank you and may God bless you,
Stephanie

[mattfivefour]

Hi Stephanie! God bless you for chasing those ladies down!!! May I suggest a good and simple approach I have found that I laid out in an old post that has been bumped a couple of times: Help with Jehovah's Witnesses. It uses their own Bible translation—The New World Translation— to clearly show them their basic doctrinal belief about Jesus is totally wrong. And it does it without your having to attack them in any way. all you do is ask them a couple of questions and have them look for the answers in their own version of the scriptures.

[ChristianMomma]

Oh thank you so much for posting this. My husband mentioned that there was something like this here but I couldn't find it. This is excellent. Just exactly what I needed!

[ChristianMomma]

I have a question about John 1:1 from their point of view. I kept getting stuck on the idea that they believe that it reads "...and the Word was a god." The lady admitted that the passage was talking about Jesus, I just don't understand how they say that they believe and follow only ONE God (Jehovah) and yet out of the other side of their mouth they say that Jesus is a god and they follow him as well?

I asked them if then they believe in multiple gods which they said no. I am still scratching my head.

[mattfivefour]

There is a simple explanation the JW's have to explain this apparent contradiction. However it does not stand up to simple thinking, let alone investigation. There is a good discussion of this topic at John 1:1, "The word was a god" | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry.

[ChristianMomma]

Thank you Mattfivefour, I was beginning to think I was just not getting it. I wonder why it is so easy to understand this and yet when you mention this obvious error to a JW they look at you like you are...well just not getting it.

I emailed my Pastor about this and was reminded of 2 John 1:7-11. I am now trying to figure out where to go from here since I made plans to have them to my house next week.

[Meg]

You do the best you can. If they still choose to not accept Scripture, there 9s nothing more you can do.

Ezekiel 33:1-7

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’
7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.